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Sun Valley home lost in Wednesday fire

Jim Kalvelage

Posted:
01/31/2013 05:42:47 PM MST

A Sun Valley residence was gutted by fire Wednesday, leaving a family of six without a home and all their belongings.

"When you lose everything you need everything," said Jo Crenshaw, who owns Forest Home Cabins in Ruidoso's Upper Canyon, where Raul Vela works. Vela, his wife and four kids were left homeless because of the fire. "Even money would help right now," Crenshaw said. "They don't have a place to live so if we could help them out with a place to live. They need everything. We're trying to get them clothes and just the necessities."

Crehshaw said the family will eventually need furniture for a new place to live.

The American Red Cross was in Ruidoso Thursday to begin the process of helping the Velas. Crenshaw said a fund to help the displaced family will also be established. Until the account is set up, Crenshaw said checks can be made out to Raul Vela and brought to Forest Home Cabins at 436 Main Road.

"I'll do anything I can to help them right now," Crenshaw said. "If people want to deliver, they can deliver to me. Even furniture, I have a little storage shed that we can put some furniture in. And the (Ruidoso Valley) Chamber of Commerce was going to try to help me find a building to store stuff in until they can get into a house."

But the immediate need is personal items and clothing.

The blaze, in the 300 block of Mogul Road, was called in by a neighbor who saw smoke coming from the eaves of the structure just before 4 p.m.

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Wednesday.

Lincoln County Office of Emergency Services Director Travis Atwell said when the Bonito Volunteer Fire Department arrived there was a "backdraft" situation.

"The house had been burning for probably an hour or two," Atwell said in explaining a backdraft. "What happened is the fire inside was losing oxygen. If you open the door it's going to explode. So it finally vented through the roof and we made entrance through the front door and we had a pretty good flashover."

No firefighters were injured in the fire though Atwell said two pets perished. The Vela family was at work or school at the time. Atwell said the house was a total loss.

An insurance adjuster was expected to arrive at the location Thursday afternoon. Atwell said an electrical situation was the initial suspicion of a cause.

To find out what assistance will be needed in the coming days, Crenshaw can be contacted at 257-4504.